Workout of the week: 20-min superset workout

20th March 2023

TOMMY HERKE

Personal trainer from Vienna

Tommy is a health and strength coach and a future physiotherapist. He used to be a competitive athlete in multiple sports, which led him to explore movement and training in many different ways. His coaching focuses on finding individual strengths and opportunities, allowing everybody to improve their fitness and work towards their goals.

Follow him on Instagram: @tommyherke.training

20-MIN SUPERSET WORKOUT

ALL LEVELS / superset workout / 20 minutes

Equipment: Hack squat machine, lat pull-down machine, hip thrust machine & incline chest press machine

At EVO, we’re big fans of supersets. They’re fun and effective, helping you save time while building muscle and endurance. But what are supersets? Generally speaking, supersets are two different exercises performed back to back, with little to no rest between them. These exercises usually target opposite muscle groups or contrasting body parts, but you’re free to include whatever movements you want.

That was what Thomas Herke, our personal trainer from EVO Fitness Schleifmühlgasse in Vienna had in mind when while conceiving this workout. A superset workout consisting of 4 exercises which are split into pairs of 2 supersets. For each of the exercises, choose a weight challenging enough to perform 8-12 reps with. Rest 10 seconds between exercises and 1 minute before each one of the 3 rounds. Complete 3 rounds of the first superset, before moving on to the second one. All combined, this workout should take you 20 minutes to complete.

1st superset

Hack squat
Lat pull-down

2nd superset

Hip thrust
Incline chest press

Let’s do this super superset workout!

WORKOUT SETUP

2 supersets
4 exercises
8-12 reps
10 seconds rest between exercises
3 rounds
1-min rest between rounds
20 minutes
Equipment: Hack squat machine, lat pull-down machine, hip thrust machine & incline chest press machine

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

1st superset

3 rounds

1 – HACK SQUAT

8-12 reps

Stand on the machine with the cushions over your shoulders.
Adopt a foot stance similar to the one you use for regular squats.
Engage your core so that you feel the cushion pushing against your body.
This machine is perfect for helping you squat to great depth.
Slowly descend until you feel like losing either core stability or the contact of your pelvis with the cushion.
Repeat.

2 – LAT PULL-DOWN

8-12 reps

Sit on the bench facing the hands and use a setting that lets your thighs or knees push against the cushion for stability.
Grab the handles in your preferred grip.
Extend your arms and upper body to increase the range of motion.
When pulling down, lean a bit back. Think of leading the movement through your elbows, as shown in the video.
Repeat.

2nd superset

3 rounds

1 – HIP THRUST

8-12 reps

Position yourself in the machine, placing your feet hip-wide apart and at a distance that keeps your shins vertical when extending the hip (see video).
Lower the cushion on your pelvis.
Drive your hips up, lifting the weight. In the top position, your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle, and your shoulders should be near the top of the bench, with your body forming a straight line between them.
Pause at the top of the lift and squeeze your glutes, then lower your hips slowly.
Lower your hips and repeat.

2 – INCLINE CHEST PRESS

8-12 reps

Lean back and press your feet actively into the floor.
Find a symmetrical grip that lets your forearms stand almost parallel to the floor in the starting position.
Engage your core and press forward and up with as much as possible.
Make sure your back stays in contact with the cushion behind you.
Repeat.